Pip assessment

tomtom256 · 27 February 2017 at 9:23AM

rockingbilly wrote: »

It is neither

The assessors report is nothing more than their opinion based on what they heard and saw.
You could well have twelve assessors give an opinion of one person and all will be different.
You certainly could not say that the assessor is guilty of gross misconduct, at worst they may require more training.

I am not talking of the wording of their opinion, but when then actually change or write something completely different to what has been said. i.e. takes 3 x whatever tablet a day to takes no medication or whatever people have put on the forum about what has been changed or written that wasn't stated.

I do know its based on their opinion and training, however that is not what was mentioned.

rockingbilly · 27 February 2017 at 1:12PM

tomtom256 wrote: »

I am not talking of the wording of their opinion, but when then actually change or write something completely different to what has been said. i.e. takes 3 x whatever tablet a day to takes no medication or whatever people have put on the forum about what has been changed or written that wasn't stated.

I do know its based on their opinion and training, however that is not what was mentioned.

Maybe the assessor was hard of hearing? And that it is common for them to have never seen the actual claim form ESA50 or PIP2?

lollipopsarah · 27 February 2017 at 3:18PM

I have been told by a disabled friend that if you say anything about having a good day (when you can cope better) they will give you less points.
This lovely lady had DLA stopped before xmas because she updated them about her not being able to work, and she is still waiting.The Macmillan Trust have been much more helpfull thankfully.
xx

rockingbilly · 27 February 2017 at 4:07PM

lollipopsarah wrote: »

I have been told by a disabled friend that if you say anything about having a good day (when you can cope better) they will give you less points.
This lovely lady had DLA stopped before xmas because she updated them about her not being able to work, and she is still waiting.The Macmillan Trust have been much more helpfull thankfully.
xx

Very few disabled people don't know what a better day is. To state that every day is the worst possible day it could be is more often than not plainly wrong. Yet you see people telling others that they must only describe their worst day when dealing with the DWP.
That by itself would make the DWP believe that you never have a better day.

You should describe your worst day, but also those days when things seem to be a little better.
As an example if you were having a better day and had a DWP assessment for say PIP, how would you describe your current day to the assessor?

You have to be totally honest with them in describing all of your days and how some are worse/better than others.

A_Flock_Of_Sheep · 27 February 2017 at 8:13PM

rockingbilly wrote: »

Very few disabled people don't know what a better day is. To state that every day is the worst possible day it could be is more often than not plainly wrong. Yet you see people telling others that they must only describe their worst day when dealing with the DWP.
That by itself would make the DWP believe that you never have a better day.

You should describe your worst day, but also those days when things seem to be a little better.
As an example if you were having a better day and had a DWP assessment for say PIP, how would you describe your current day to the assessor?

You have to be totally honest with them in describing all of your days and how some are worse/better than others.

A better day for someone with anxiety would be not feeling the affects of the condition. However it's often triggered by an external reason. Trying to avoid the external triggers so a "better" day is achieved is debilitating and isolating in its own right. So is it really a "better day"? A better day to me is where the person if symptom free and can enjoy all the pleasures others do without fear of attacks or illness. Which isn't realistic.

So if I was with someone at a PIP assessment being asked about "good days and bad days" I would explain it like that but use the words "terrible days" and "bad days".

What is a better day to a blind person? The fact that they received a bill in Braille as opposed to text so they could understand it?

Muttleythefrog · 28 February 2017 at 12:09PM

For mental health problems particularly I think the concept of good and bad days is a little alien.. especially in the context of what these benefits assess or make payment towards. As example... if I sleep 24 hours through a day (suffice for odd interruption of waking and have done it many times without wife support) I suffer absolutely as good as nil disability or symptoms of mental illness. For all intents and purposes I'm normal... I don't suffer depression, I don't suffer anxiety, I don't suffer personality disorders... I do suffer from bizarre dreams and nightmares... but I presume that is quite normal...lol... and it certainly doesn't cause distress. (To an outsider that might seem like a bad day.. not getting up at all). On the other hand if you stuck me in a marketplace for 24 hours I dare say I'd be severely disabled and having a 'bad day'..lol... yet to outsider they may say I'm having a better day.. at least I'm out. So my view and approach is to consider myself as a normal person in terms of expectations... which means showering once a day... shopping a couple of times a week.. going to the park a couple times a week... taking medication once a day (if relevant)etc etc etc... and then imagining what I can do, what I won't do, what I won't be able to do, what I can do with help and what help. For example I won't go shopping at all outdoors... I may be able to go to the park once a month with significant help..etc... I'd forget or overlook taking my medication a couple of days a week etc etc... just examples. I think some of the terminology used with some of these benefits that seems engrained.. is just nonsensical or odd.

serenaly · 10 March 2017 at 5:48PM

Well, just an update had my assessment yesterday after the first appointment was cancelled by ATOS. It was extremely stressful and I ended out breaking my elastic band comforter! My husband was trying to frantically tie it back together whilst the assessor kindly rang through to reception to ask for a replacement. They didn't have one! In the end I had got into such a state that she directed all the questions to my husband apart from at the last point, when she started to ask me mental maths questions, I had to use my fingers and got so frustrated I started banging my head with my fist just to jar some brain power! She seemed sympathetic enough and opened a window, offered me tissues etc. However, her final sentence was "I want to wish you luck with your application" made me think erm I guess PTSD, GAD, Depression and eating disorder is not enough then. I might be wrong though!

Muttleythefrog · 10 March 2017 at 6:03PM

serenaly wrote: »

Well, just an update had my assessment yesterday after the first appointment was cancelled by ATOS. It was extremely stressful and I ended out breaking my elastic band comforter! My husband was trying to frantically tie it back together whilst the assessor kindly rang through to reception to ask for a replacement. They didn't have one! In the end I had got into such a state that she directed all the questions to my husband apart from at the last point, when she started to ask me mental maths questions, I had to use my fingers and got so frustrated I started banging my head with my fist just to jar some brain power! She seemed sympathetic enough and opened a window, offered me tissues etc. However, her final sentence was "I want to wish you luck with your application" made me think erm I guess PTSD, GAD, Depression and eating disorder is not enough then. I might be wrong though!

Interesting.... that they ended up directing questions mainly to your partner. It's Friday today.. so I would advise on Monday calling the number at top of DWP PIP letter and asking for a copy of the PA4 consultant report. That will be invaluable in determining what decision is likely coming down the line as there's high chance DWP will as good as rubber stamp the descriptors selected by the person who conducted this assessment. I expect you could have that document in a week. Her parting words could be interpreted many ways so I wouldn't read too much into them. Good luck!

rockingbilly · 10 March 2017 at 7:06PM

Muttleythefrog wrote: »

Interesting.... that they ended up directing questions mainly to your partner. It's Friday today.. so I would advise on Monday calling the number at top of DWP PIP letter and asking for a copy of the PA4 consultant report. That will be invaluable in determining what decision is likely coming down the line as there's high chance DWP will as good as rubber stamp the descriptors selected by the person who conducted this assessment. I expect you could have that document in a week. Her parting words could be interpreted many ways so I wouldn't read too much into them. Good luck!

I didn't think that they had the right to ask someone other than the claimant?
I was told when I asked ATOS before one of my ESA assessments that someone can come with you but will not be allowed to participate in the assessment. Hence why my wife always sat outside in the waiting area.

rockingbilly · 10 March 2017 at 7:12PM

serenaly wrote: »

Well, just an update had my assessment yesterday after the first appointment was cancelled by ATOS. It was extremely stressful and I ended out breaking my elastic band comforter! My husband was trying to frantically tie it back together whilst the assessor kindly rang through to reception to ask for a replacement. They didn't have one! In the end I had got into such a state that she directed all the questions to my husband apart from at the last point, when she started to ask me mental maths questions, I had to use my fingers and got so frustrated I started banging my head with my fist just to jar some brain power! She seemed sympathetic enough and opened a window, offered me tissues etc. However, her final sentence was "I want to wish you luck with your application" made me think erm I guess PTSD, GAD, Depression and eating disorder is not enough then. I might be wrong though!

I remember at one assessment that I went to that the assessor was completely flummoxed when I said that I wouldn't want their job. Having to decide if the claimant is telling the truth both on the claim form and giving verbal evidence or if it is one complete elaborate scam and everything including the evidence is all window dressing.

Pip assessment

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